The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-06-16
and smiles and bushes and eager looks minglc

| and smiles and bushes and eager looks minylc
| incXtricably. Everything is trying to get said
al once. After moment or two mists Of feel
ing close little: it is easier to speak; but not
| so imperative.
| Myra sat down by her friend on the little
sofa. The welcoming look had not quite gone
out Of her face when she said. impressivcly:
'Will, must ask you something now. DO
| you remember the little hallmark made YOU
before you went away: | put it in your hat
myself the night before you sailed.'
''Do l remember! ! should think so. But
imagine what happened. The very next morn
ing ! lost my hat 1t was knocked off my
head and picked up by another man.
husband-by Philip NortIlam.'
"lou don't say so! Your husband. And l
got his hat in exchange. la. ha! The long
lost hats! It's about time we should return
them nOw.''
But Myra was not smiling; she sat elias ping
and unclasping her hands nervously.
''Wiil, did you noticc-diu you examine nv
little Gift very closelyT' she asked with a
strange hcsitancy. "You now fastened it in
Elv>cf."
"lc>, know. 1t was awfuIly kind of YOU,
too. I felt 50 sorry to think l couldn't have
kept it,
"And-and you are sure you didn't see any
thing else with it!-anything except the hat
| mark
She spoke slowly, searching his face with
her eyes.
''Anvthng clsc:'' he repeated wondcrinylv
Nv hat Kind Of Il thing. for instance: | don't
understands
She looked at him now with the brightest
smile he had ever seen her wear.
''Oh. isn't fate strange, Will? Isn't it
str.nge-and GOOD? 1t won't let us have our
own way; il snatches from us the things we
covct. but only to give lis something better.
am glad for everything, though-evcrything.
Nv hat a remarkable state of mind. DO YOU
q IN tI,,
NO.. She said joyousiy. 81 never can: |
ncVcr will. | am too thankful. And then"
She added, deprccatin@ly. "a woman must al
ways be mysterious. You know"
"Slic always is. | know
"She must be- insisted Mvr: gently ..Tbe
conditions Of her life are such. And. Will.
am going to ask You know to be Il little bit
mysterious, too.
but wherefore sl.oul,Ist thou%' He gave
her a coInical look of ,liSmav.
That | can't tell YOU. either; only if Philip
If my husband should ever show yoll--should
ever tell YOU his romance of Il hat, il has moth
in@ TO do with YOU! You never had Il like
experience: no cir, ever gave You a hallmark,
or. if She did. yon never io>tit DO you under
stand:
II don't in the least but can follow inStrtr-
tions. VIII that answer"
1T is all | could ASK She answered, snilin.
on linn gratefully. "And one other thin"
fouwl not mndif call you Walker. instead
Walker is Il fri"htful name" he said resign
ciiN. My wife calls me that when she wants
totea>c me. suppose can bear it if | must"
''oh. tell mc about your wife, Walker" was
Myra's reply. And to think you married an
English girl. ! know She must be charming
And you will like my dear. loving Philip. He
is so splendid and SO @ood.'
"Ncll. do YOU know, Myra often used 10
wonder what sort of Il man you ever would
really care for. You seemed so hard TO suit"
Did = asked Myra. with deep. deep
blush. "Philip suits me-"
1t was rather strange when the time came
for Mr.. Carroll to examine his long-loSt and
ofi-regiettcd derby, to do with an air of
ignorance, to try it on at the mirror and be-
come aware that it fitted him, and to further
discover thai the embroidered initials were the
same as his own. And still more strange was
it, in view of these condolences to receive
from the hands of Mr.. Norham his own
property a> a gift.
81 am pretty sure never to find the real
owner now." Philip said, thouyhtfuily. "Thc
hats an excellent hat and enough in style. And
aS the initials belong to you. why. really think
you ought to wear it out, hat-mark and all.
And especially AS it fits you so well.''
at does fit me- said Mr.. Carroll. looking
down conli'lentiaiy at the hat AS the >harcr of
secret. But. for the matter of that. the hat
had Il secret of its own.